A New Friendship
by AANGPWNS
Summary: What if Zhao's soldiers saw Zuko's face when he was knocked out in The Blue Spirit? What if Zuko decided to give Aang a chance and join his side? When Zuko gives up his quest to capture the avatar. a whole new adventure begins, and Zuko realizes that the avatar and his friends aren't that bad after all.
1. Chapter 1

One of the things Prince Zuko always wanted, was to have family who actually loved him, and once upon a time he had one. Things were great for Zuko when he was young, but as he got older, his father and little sister began blossoming into a pair of cruel and evil individuals. One corrupted by greed and the want for power, the other taught these ways. As he was growing up, his father began favoring his sister, Azula, princess of the Fire Nation, over him, sparking a hatred and jealousy inside of the young prince. It angered him how his younger sister who barely even tried, could best him at something he's been struggling with for far longer. This, combined with his father and sister's treatment, slowly began transforming him into an angry, bitter boy who would only focus on his failures than anything else.

And so for years, he would try to outperform his sister, to be at least shown some love by his father, but no matter how hard he tried, how hard he trained, he never caught up to her, and never received even the slightest show of affection from his father. The most he ever got from his father were scowls and mockery. But at least then, through all the hard times, he had his mother. But even that didn't last. When his mother disappeared, the last bit of love he received was gone, and his remaining family became even worse; their hatred towards him no longer being held back by Ursa's protection.

And the young prince's own bitterness only got worse when his father, now fire lord, banished the teen after scarring him, demanding he only return with the avatar in chains. And even though he knew the prince was likely going on a wild goose chase with the avatar not being seen for nearly a hundred years, he still sent his own son on a mission with no return, eager to be finally rid of him. To Ozai, Zuko with his moral sense around would only weaken the gene pool with his pathetic emotions, and tarnish the royal family's name.

The avatar from then on became a symbol of home for Prince Zuko, and he would stop at nothing to capture him. So that's why, here he was, far from home, laying in the forest with a blazing headache, with what looked like the avatar sitting next to him. He began to remember what happened that night, and recollected that it was the avatar himself who saved him from Zhao, and he wondered why in Agni's name he would save his worst enemy, when suddenly, the tattooed boy spoke in a solemn voice, bringing the scarred prince out of his thoughts.

"You know, the air nomads were very close with the Fire Nation. Our two nations were part of an important balance. The Fire Nation's strength and ferocity, balanced out my nation's peace and gentleness . The two nations were important each other; they relied on each other, because of the extreme opposites in spirits. But now, with the air nation gone, that reliance is gone, balance is gone, and anger and hatred has spread all across the world. I mean, I just don't understand; there was nothing but peace and friendship between both nations. I know since I was there back in those days. But then, your great-grandfather attacked and killed my people, just, just for nothing. Why? I..I don't think I'll ever understand."

At this point, Aang was getting tears in his eyes, thinking about Gyatso and the other airbenders, the good times he had with them: flying on Appa, playing with his friends, travelling the four nations without a care in the world. But he struggled to continue.

"I know that it would never be considered honorable by the Fire Nation citizens I knew back then. And I know that hunting down the last member of an entire nation, who's lost his family, his friends, and pretty much his whole world, wouldn't be considered very honorable either. So why do you still chase me? You always mention honor, but chasing a 12 year old around the world, just to get rid of the world's only hope, isn't honorable at all." Aang sadly stated.

Zuko was getting angrier and angrier at every word the airbender said, and eventually punched the air and shot a fireball straight at the young avatar's head. Aang quickly jumped up and extinguished it with a spin of his staff.

"You know nothing about my life, or the things I went through! My father ordered me to hunt you down, and that's exactly what I plan on doing, for the rest of my life if I have to!" Zuko spat with anger.

"But why? What did I ever do to you? What did my people ever do to you? All me and my friends want is peace in the world. I miss my life in the air temples, I miss my friends, and I miss living without fear of being captured everywhere I go!" Aang yelled, furious.

"Do you want to know why I chase you and your peasant friends? This is why!" Zuko exclaimed, pointing at his scar, his mark of shame; cringing as he feels the rough skin bringing back painful memories that have haunted him since he was banished.

"From the moment I received this, my life became entirely focused on capturing you! If I don't, I'll lose everything" As Zuko said the last few words, he felt his anger melt into sadness, remembering the months and months of sailing the rough seas, tortuously searching day and night, for that mysterious, unfindable spiritual being, only to get his hopes crushed every time. Sometimes, he wondered if his father cared about him at all, and sometimes, he wondered if he'll live to see his family again.

"But I'm not just "the avatar", I'm Aang, a real person, not just some faceless all-powerful spirit. Don't you at least care about the feelings that "Avatar" has? Or is he just some,... some, thing for you to capture!? Aang then lowered his voice, and continued.

"Look, Zuko, please try to understand that I know how you feel; you want to go back home, back to your family who love you, but please don't do it by hurting innocent people." Aang said, with sadness in his voice. "I know you have some goodness in your heart". Aang said, hoping to get through to the angry firebender.

"No, you don't know. You don't know anything! I have no home, I have no family, and I have no honor..." Zuko yelled, sadness and anguish flowing out of every word he spoke.

"What do you mean? You're the prince of the Fire Nation, you probably have a ton of family members who love, and definitely respect you considering you're the prince of their nation. That doesn't make any sense" Aang asked in confusion.

"It's none of your business, avatar." Zuko bitterly said.

"But, can't you just…" Aang, however, was quickly cut-off before he could finish.

"Enough! Listen, I will let you leave, just this once. NOW GO! Before I attack you again." The young prince demanded, sick and tired of being pestered by the foolish monk.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me the entire story behind you chasing us. You owe me and my friends that much after all the time times you tried to capture and kill us." The airbender stated, the entire time wondering if he was going to be writhing in fiery heat any second now.

Zuko paused for a second, thinking whether or not he should tell this kid… enemy, the story that changed his life forever. And after a few seconds of debating with himself, he agreed, thinking it's the least he could do to the person he's been mercilessly hunting for three years now.

"Fine,, if that's what you consider "honorable", I guess it's fair. I'll tell you." Zuko shot daggers at Aang, his eyes angrily reminding the young monk of his insult towards Zuko's honor.

Zuko then began telling the story of his scarring and banishment.

* * *

"I was waiting outside the war room. My father, the fire lord, was discussing battle plans with his officers. I decided that since I was going to become fire lord eventually, I should go inside and learn from the discussions. But the useless guards kept blocking me, their own prince, from entering! I saw my uncle approach me, and I asked him to tell the guards to let me in. He agreed, and asked them to lower their guard."

"You mean the kinda, uhh, y'know, fat, grey haired guy who's always with you and is happy all the time?" Aang blurted out, slowly becoming afraid of how Zuko will react.

"My uncle is not fat! And yes, him. Now, do you want to hear my story, or will you keep interrupting me!?" Zuko snapped at the young monk.

"Ok, ok, sorry." The airbender apologized, regretting asking that question.

"Now, as I was saying, my uncle permitted the guards to let me in, so I went inside, and quietly sat on one of the empty chairs. Everything was going fine, until I heard one of the generals talking about sending defenseless soldiers out into the war, to be used as bait!"

"What happened next?" Aang asked, listening to the story intently.

"I didn't think things through, and I stood up and told everyone there that it was wrong to send helpless soldiers to their deaths! I thought I would be backed up. I was sure that they would agree it's wrong, too. But all I heard was silence, and saw nothing but angry stares towards me. It started becoming unbearably hot in the room, and when I turned around, my father was glaring at me through the inferno. He ordered me to fight in an agni kai the next day at noon. I was shocked; I had never formally fought in an agni kai before, but I regained my composure and agreed, thinking that it was that old fool of a general that I would be fighting. So when tomorrow came, I went to the arena, and proudly faced my opponent, ready to fight... But as he came closer, I noticed something was wrong. It wasn't that idiotic general that I would be fighting. No. It was something much, much worse... It was my own father."

"What!? Your own father was going to fight you!?" The young monk exclaimed, shocked at what he was hearing.

"Yes, he was. And he wasn't hesitating either. He was actually willing to fight his own son, a 13 year old, to the death." Zuko said, anger towards his father dripping from every word he said, even though he doesn't realize it.

Aang just stood there in wide eyed disbelief. He thought back to his father figure Monk Gyatso was, and how kind and gentle he was towards him. He just couldn't imagine a father that would be willing to fight his own, barely teenage son to the death. It was unimaginable. And so, so cruel.

"I told him I wouldn't fight. But he still ordered me to fight him. I begged him to forgive me, but it was clear he wasn't out for forgiveness. He walked up to me, said I will learn respect through suffering. And the last thing I saw before blacking out, was my father's hand, glowing red with fire, moving towards me. The next thing I know, my belongings were being packed, and I learnt that my father had banished me from the Fire Nation. Permitting me to only come back with the avatar. I thought it would be impossible for me, a mere 13 year old child, to find someone that has been searched for by countless people for 100 years. But I still left my nation with hope, hope that I would find the Fire Nation's worst enemy, hope that I would find the avatar and capture him, hope that I would capture you. And yet, now here I am, sitting with you, the avatar himself, sharing a personal story. My father would probably call me a disgrace and kill me on the spot if he were here now."

"I'm so sorry, Zuko. I mean, since I met you, I just thought you were some evil prince who just wanted to capture me out of glory. I never thought you were doing it to go back home." Aang stated, realising that the scarred prince just wants to go home and actually be considered worth anything by his father.

"Save your sorrys, avatar. I don't need sympathy from my enemy." The prince angrily said, not wanting to be considered weak by the pathetic airbender.

"Then why do we have to be enemies?" The airbender asked, a smile creeping onto his face

Upon hearing his question, the banished prince lost his ability to speak, dumbfounded at how he could actually say such a dumb thing.

Aang however, took a deep breath, and continued.

"Zuko, listen, please. There is so much suffering going on in the world right now. People are dying at the hands of the Fire Nation, and it's only getting worse! If you don't…" However Aang was abruptly cut-off.

"There is nothing I can do about that, avatar, and you know it!" Zuko screamed.

Yes, there is! I mean, look, you're fighting for the Fire Nation, hunting down the world's last chance for peace! How is that helping. Don't you even care about the war!? Aang yelled, astonished at the prince's apathy.

Of course I care! But I also care about going home. I used to have a home, a family, I was loved by thousands of people, and now everyone hates me! Even my own family! I want it back, I want my honor back, and I want to be the prince I was before." The young prince did truly care about all the hurt the war caused, but it was just too hard for him to give up and forget about his entire past, his family, and his country. It was too much to lose.

"But why? If they only "loved" you for your title, and if you obeyed their every word? I mean, you're father scarred and banished you for speaking out of turn! Don't you want to have real friends, who care for you, for the real you, and not just "Prince Zuko"? The young airbender couldn't understand how the scarred prince could consider someone who only cares about his title, a "friend". It saddened him to think about what kind of childhood he had to think that that's what family and friends are about.

"I, I,... why in Agni's name are we even talking about this! This doesn't make any sense!" Zuko couldn't imagine leaving the Fire Nation, and completely losing his chance to regain his honor, and his father's love. To him, it was illogical to even think about it.

"Zuko, please just consider this. This is your chance to do right. To change sides and help end the war. To help put an end to all the pain, suffering, and death caused by the Fire Nation." The airbender stated, hoping for the prince to at least consider his offer.

"How can I just leave my entire crew, and not to mention my uncle, behind and just run off saving the world? Do you even think, avatar, or do you just blurt out whatever's on your mind!?" Zuko spat, angered by the foolish boy's stupidity.

"Well, I mean, I'm sure your crew could find their way back to the Fire Nation, and, y'know, since your uncle doesn't seem too bad, maybe you and your uncle could, maybe, uhh, I don't know,... join our group, maybe? Hehe." Aang said, nervously scratching the back of his head. Afraid of the prince's reaction.

"Join your group? Are you crazy? I'd become a traitor! My father would hate me even more than before! Are you some kind of an idiot!?" The prince said, wondering how much stupider the young boy can get.

"Ohh, hehe, well, I guess you didn't find out yet, since I kinda forgot to tell you." The arrow covered boy said, nervous of having to tell the scarred teen the truth of what happened back at Zhao's fortress.

"Tell me what?" Zuko asked with curiosity, fear, and anger all mixed together.

"Well, you see, when Zhao's men knocked you out, your mask kinda, um, you know,... _felloff_ " Aang said as quickly and quietly as possible.

"What?" Zuko asked, anger beginning to overlay his voice.

"What, what?" The nervous airbender replied

"What did you say!" The scarred teen yelled, fed up with the airbender's dance around the question.

"Your mask kinda, uhh, fell off when the arrow hit it." Aang said, closing his eyes from fear of what will happen next.

"It WHAT!?" The hotheaded prince yelled.

"Well what did you want me to do! Zhao's men were all around us, If I stopped to put it back on, we would've been captured. So, I just thought that, well, with your identity being revealed, Zhao probably already told your father, and your kind of a traitor already. So,... yeaah, hehe." Aang said, once again scratching the back of his head and quietly laughing with fear and nervousness.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" Zuko angrily asked, astounded at how the stupid avatar could leave out such an important fact.

""Well, because I knew you'd go crazy!" Aang yelled back, trying to explain himself to the angry prince.

"Uhhh, You're so stupid! I'm so stupid! I knew I shouldn't have saved you! Uhh! Why do these things always happen to me of all people!" Zuko screamed to the sky, tired of all the constant pain in his life.

"Zuko calm down, somebody's gonna hear you!" Aang whispered, trying to quiet the prince down before they get captured again.

"Calm down yourself! Do you know what this means? I'm a traitor to the Fire Nation, to my father! I'll never be able to go home now! I'll never be able to regain my father's respect! I can't even go back to my own ship! And uncle,... he'll... he'll probably never speak to me again…" It was hard enough to think about what his father will think of him, but for his uncle, the man who always believed in him,to find out that he is a traitor,... it just made him want to crawl under a rock and hide from all his failures.

"I'm sorry Zuko. But, I mean, your uncle seems like a nice guy, don't you think he might accept you, even as how you are now?" Aang said, trying to find the good in the situation.

"I, I don't know. And I don't think I'll be able to even find out, since I can't even go back to the ship." Zuko said, his anger slowly going away, being replaced by sadness and anxiety.

"Well... I have air power" Aang said, pointing to his glider "I might be able to fly you out to your ship, and you can talk to him. Maybe he'll even join our side!" Aang stated happily.

"I haven't even made a decision myself yet, so don't get your hopes up, avatar. But fine, I accept your offer. However, we have to go soon, the sky's getting brighter, and the Sun will rise in about half an hour, so if we don't want to get caught, we need to go before it gets too bright." The scarred teen stated.

"OK, fine." The airbender agreed.

* * *

Right before they were about to leave, Aang decides Zuko ask a rather awkward question.

"So… How exactly do you want to hold on during the flight?"

Being hit with such an awkward question caught Zuko off guard, and he struggled to answer it.

"Umm,... well, I'll just uhh... hold on to the back of your glider, I guess. So,... yeaah." Zuko awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, cringing at the thought of him practically hugging the avatar in flight.

"Umm, ok. No problem, then." Aang said. He then opened his glider and prepared to fly.

"All you have to do is just hop on, and point the way." Aang said with a smile so cheerful that it made Zuko cringe again.

"Uhh, right, will do." Zuko said.

* * *

Grabbing on to him, they both fly into the twilight sky; darkness slowly disappearing from the land, and from a certain prince's heart.


	2. Chapter 2

"Uhh, this is terrible! How do you do this everyday?! Zuko yelled, practically hanging off the airbender's glider.

"Aww, c''mon zuko, it's fun! You just gotta get used to it! I'm sure you'll learn to love it in no time!" Aang said, both having to scream at the top of their lungs just to hear each other's words.

"Yeah, fun for you." Zuko said to himself, while spitting out a small leaf.

Finally, after flying for about 20 minutes, the duo reach their destination and land, careful to walk around the more darker areas of the ship so as to not be seen, as the sun had already begun rising.

"Alright, so, we're here. Now what?" The airbender asked,

"We find my uncle." The prince answered.

"Okay, sounds simple enough. Where do we search for him?" The young monk continued to question.

"Let's check his room, he should be in there." Zuko replied, worrying about what he will say to his uncle.

"By the way, Zuko, what's your uncle's name?" Aang queried once again, not wanting to describe his uncle as "fat, nice, grey haired guy" again. Especially after Zuko's reaction to it.

"It's Iroh." Zuko calmly replied.

"Oh.I guess he must be the fire lord's brother, right?" Aang queried, hoping he's not stepping into uncomfortable territory for the prince.

"Yeah." Zuko said.

"Wow, he seems so much different from your father." Aang said.

"Yes, he is." The young prince once again calmly replied, slightly shocking Aang for being so calm about practically calling his father a terrible guy.

"You know, Zuko, I kinda thought that everyone in your family were a bunch of angry jerks, It's hard to believe that you and your uncle actually have good in you." Aang said, thinking he is complimenting the prince.

"Hey! Not everyone in my family are like my father, you know!" Zuko quietly yelled, memories of his mother popping up.

"Ok, sorry, sorry." _Guess I shouldn't have said angry jerks._ Aang thought to himself.

"There was another person in my family who was just as kind as me and my uncle." Zuko said, angry that the airbender thinks no one else in his family was good, when his mother was one of the most kindest and gentlest person he's ever met.

"Who? And, what do you mean by "was"? Did something happen to them?I mean, if you don't mind answering,..." Aang asked, curious, but cautious.

Zuko was slightly annoyed by the airbender's curiosity, and though he didn't like talking to people about his mother, he admired how the young monk shared his emotions freely, and actually seemed to care about him. And after some time, Zuko quietly responded.

"My mother. She disappeared a couple years before I was banished. She was a very kind person, and I'm not embarrassed to say I miss her very much." Zuko solemnly stated, the memories of her disappearance bringing up pain once again.

"I'm sorry Zuko, I shouldn't have asked you something so personal." Aang apologised, sad that his curiosity caused the prince to recall bad memories.

"No, it's okay. I mean, after all the things I've done to you, and all the things I've said to you and your friends, you deserve to say what you want to me. And I'll uh,... I'll try not to get angry. Or at least, I'll try not to get too angry." Zuko said, giving a faint smile to the young airbender.

"Okay, so,... how is your uncle so nice? I mean, the guy was a general of the Fire Nation army. I haven't seen many nice people there." The young monk asked, curious once again, of how someone who ranked so high in the Fire Nation army could seem so nice.

"Well, my uncle wasn't always like he is now." Zuko stated.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked.

"My uncle had a difficult past, and he wasn't that different from my father before. Until something happened that changed him forever." Zuko answered, remembering how sad and lost his uncle was when he came home after learning of his cousin, Lu Ten's death.

"What happened to him?" Aang opined.

"Let's just say, that he lost someone he loved very much." The young prince, replied, hoping to leave it at that.

"Oh…" Aang didn't want to push any further, as this too seemed like uncomfortable territory for the prince.

Unfortunately for the duo, the entire time they were walking, they were being followed by a guard in the shadows, planning to attack as soon as he had the chance; first to swiftly take down the avatar, and then the traitor prince, hoping to receive a giant reward. However, unbeknownst to the the guard, the prince knew perfectly well that he was being followed, and was already making a plan of his own.

Taking a turn at the next corner, Zuko quickly grabbed Aang and pulled him into a small hole, eliciting a yelp from the surprised airbender. Zuko shushed him and quietly whispered to him that they were being followed. He explained what they have to do, and how they should attack. The young monk agreed to the plan, and the two waited. The hunter, soon becoming the hunted.

After a short time of waiting, the guard approaches their another hole not too far from their own hiding place, thinking he's found them. Zuko and Aang jump out, surprising the guard to a point that he nearly yells.

"You know, next time, you should really look more carefully. At least that way you won't get frozen to the ceiling." Zuko says in a mocking, but intimidating tone.

Hearing the prince behind him, the guard spins around and fires a blast of fire at them, but Zuko quickly dissipates it with a wave of his hand. Zuko then shoots a blast of his own, knocking back the other firebender. Nodding at Aang, the young airbender quickly brings up water from the surrounding sea, and swiftly freezes him to the ceiling.

The guard tried to insult and curse at them, calling the airbender a weakling who should've been killed along with the rest of the airbenders, and the prince a worthless, banished, failure. But before he could continue with his insults, the ice went all the way up to his mouth and completely covered it, leaving only muffled ramblings to be heard.

Walking up to him, Zuko gives him a clear warning.

"Listen up, filth. I'll let you go this time, but I warn you, try to continue with your little plan, and next time, being frozen will be the least of your problems. Understand?" The scarred prince threatened.

They guard widened his eyes in fear at the threat, all confidence draining out of him. He slowly nodded, not wanting to anger the prince any further and risk injury, or worse, death.

"Good. Now let's go." The prince said, slowly taking his eyes off of the frozen guard before turning around and continuing his search.

The duo leave the frozen firebender to melt, and to his thoughts, regretting his foolish plan and wondering if maybe he should've been at his post and minded his own business.

* * *

The two quietly continued their search for some time until it gets interrupted by an impulsive Aang.

"Zuko, quick, look! This door has a huge fire symbol on it. It's gotta be his room! Let's just open the door and you can…" But before he could even grab the handle, he was quickly caught and dragged away from the door by the back of his shirt.

"Don't touch that door, avatar! That's the engine room, you fool! We'll get caught." Zuko whispered as loud as he can without yelling.

"Oh, sorry. Heh. You can do the door opening next time, Zuko." The young airbender said, feeling embarrassed for not thinking.

"Thank you!" Zuko huffed in annoyance.

"Oh, uh,... by the way, Zuko, it's Aang, not "avatar". We kinda went over this back in the forest!" Aang stated, annoyed at constantly being called "avatar" by everyone.

"Right, whatever, Aang, Oong, who cares. Just come on." Zuko said, motioning for Aang to follow him.

Aang gave a quick "hmmpf" before quickly continuing on with the young prince in his search.

Finally, after walking another 5 minutes, they come upon Iroh's room. A silence spreading between them.

"So,... your uncle's probably in there, right?" Aang said, wondering what the prince must be thinking.

"Yeah, he I guess so." Zuko anxiously says.

"What are you going to say to him?" Aang asked.

"I… I don't know. I have no idea how I can explain something like this. I'll probably look like a fool; a disgrace in front of someone as honorable as my uncle." Zuko replied, ashamed to see his uncle with his current title of 'traitor'.

"Don't worry Zuko. You're uncle seems like a nice guy, and it looks like he loves you. I'm sure he'll understand." Aang said, hoping to calm the young prince's worries.

"I hope so." Zuko said.

Taking a deep breath, Zuko leans in to open the door and finally explain himself.

"Uncle, Are you in there..." Zuko was about to say, only to be cut off by the very person they were looking for, surprising him.

"Prince Zuko? You're back?! Turning around, Zuko saw his uncle standing behind him, with a surprised, but happy expression on his face.

"Uncle! I… I...," Zuko stammered, not knowing what to say.

"No, No, it is alright Prince Zuko. I understand. You don't have to say anything." Zuko was shocked to hear this from his uncle. He was expecting a scolding, or at least a cold shoulder from him, but not this.

"But... but, uncle, I, I'm a traitor to the Fire Nation, I set the avatar free! I mean, look, I'm practically friends with him now! Zuko stated, pointing to his new "friend" next to him.

Don't you care that I'm a traitor, don't you hate me?!" Zuko said, confusion and sadness clear in his voice.

"No, Prince Zuko, I do not. You are my nephew, and I love you no matter what you do. I'm sure you have your reasons for doing what you did, and I know that your changing sides is for the better."

"Uncle, I… I don't understand, are you saying you aren't on the Fire Nation's side anymore?" The scarred prince asked, dumbfounded and shocked by his uncle's words.

"Yes, Prince Zuko, I am sad to say I am. This war has caused too much pain and suffering, and the Fire Nation must be stopped." Iroh solemnly said.

"But,... how? Why? When did you change sides?" Zuko asked, wondering how his uncle could fight for the Fire Nation alongside him, and yet harbor these feelings.

"You see, ever since Lu Ten..., well, I just couldn't fight for the Fire Nation anymore. So many people were losing their lives, their children, their fathers, mothers. I could not be part of the problem anymore. I wanted to leave and help end the war, but you were in a time of need, and I couldn't leave you, so I stayed by your side, hoping that you would one day see what this war is doing and choose the right way. And now, it looks like you have. And I am so, very proud, Prince Zuko, proud of your decision, and your courage." Iroh said, with a tear dripping down his cheek from happiness, and sadness.

Grabbing his uncle, Zuko embraced him in a hug, and held him as tightly as possible, tears of happiness, and of sadness slowly streaming down both their faces.

"Thank you uncle, I am so glad to hear you say that. I... I thought you would hate me after all that I did." To Zuko, it was like all the weight on his shoulders was lifted. To feel so much love and acceptance from his uncle, even as a traitor, made him realize that he didn't really need his title, or his father's conditional "love" to feel worthy. He simply needed someone to accept him. And while it took him too long to realise this, he was happy to finally know it know, and to at last, be at peace with himself.

"I would never hate you, Prince Zuko, no matter what." Iroh said, holding Zuko tightly.

After a long embrace, the two finally let go and wiped their tears; happy to have shared such a moment.

After a quiet few seconds, Zuko decides breaks the silence to break the silence with an important revelation.

"And you know what uncle, I think you're right, I think I am ready to change sides." Zuko said, ready to make one of the biggest decisions of his life.

Turning around to face Aang, the ex-prince continues.

"Avatar,... Aang, I gladly accept your offer to join your group, and I would be honored to help fight the war alongside you and your friends, regardless of our differences." Zuko said, happy to finally do right and

"And I would be honored to have the prince of the Fire Nation fighting on our side. Thank you Zuko. I'm sure you won't regret it." Aang replied, happy that Zuko accepted his offer to join his group.

"Well, Ex-prince now, actually." Zuko said.

After sharing a quick laugh, the group noticed that the sun was getting quite high in the sky, and realised they would be noticed by a guard soon if they don't get off the ship within the next 30 minutes, as more soldiers and guards started popping up as the sun rose.

"Uncle, we'll have to leave soon, but, we don't have to leave alone." Zuko stated, hoping to bring his uncle along with him.

After pausing for a second, Zuko continued with his proposition.

"Uncle, how would you like to join us, and help fight this war?" Zuko hoped that his uncle would join him; because of him being banished, his uncle was forced to continue siding with the Fire Nation, but now that he's changed sides, he wants his uncle to be free to choose what he wants to do.

"I would be honored to, Prince Zuko, but I cannot leave with you right now. It would be too suspicious, and might give away clues as to where I went. And besides, I don't think I will be able to fly away with you, what with my size, haha! Iroh said, rubbing his stomach to show that he's not exactly the lightest person around.

"Are you sure uncle? I mean, I'm sure we could find a way to sneak you out." Zuko said, already beginning to think of a plan to get his uncle out of there.

"It's alright Prince Zuko, I will join you when the time is right." Iroh said.

"Okay uncle, but if you need to know where we are, just come to the, uh,... where exactly is our camp, or location, anyway?" Zuko said, turning to Aang to find the answer to his question.

"Well, we usually never stay too long in one place since there are Fire Nation soldiers everywhere, but if you need to find us, just, uhh, umm… ooh, I know!" Aang said, happy to find a solution to the problem.

Digging inside his pocket, he pulled out the bison whistle he recently bought.

"All you have to do is blow on this, preferably in a place without any Fire Nation soldiers around, since, well, we're, you know,,... kinda enemies of the Fire Nation, and wait a couple minutes. We'll be there to pick you up not too long after." Aang clarified, knowing Appa won't be able to be there very quickly if they're too far away.

"Thank you, avatar, but I can assure you that I will not need it. The spirits have a way of guiding you to where you need to be." Iroh said, a kind smile on his face.

"Oh, alright, then…" Aang said, the ex-general's words reminding him of someone he once knew.

"You know, you remind me of a very close friend of mine I knew a long time ago. He was very kind and wise, just like you... " Aang said, remembering his friend, mentor and practically father, Monk Gyatso...

"It sounds like he was a very good man." Iroh said.

"Yes, he was. And I'm glad Zuko has someone like you to be there for him." Aang replied, happy that Zuko has such a great mentor to guide him, like he had with Monk Gyatso.

"Thank you, young avatar, for helping my nephew in his journey in finding his place. And I am glad to know Zuko has a friend like you." Iroh said.

Aang smiled at this. He knew before that Iroh was a pretty nice man, but he never thought a a general of the Fire Nation, could be so kind, and wise. It was nice to know that there were such good people all around the world, even in the Fire Nation. It made him realise that there are all kinds of people in the world, and that even someone from a war pushing country like the Fire Nation, a country that caused countless tragedies, can be as kind and as gentle as the most peaceful monks from the air temples.

But suddenly, Aang remembered the reason why all this even happened; his friends are sick! Upon recalling this, Aang immediately let Iroh and Zuko know about this, not wanting to waste any more time.

"Oh no, Zuko, I don't think we have anymore time to talk, we have to go now! " Aang said, worried about what happened to his friends while he was gone.

"What? Why? I don't see any guards yet, we can be here for a few more minutes." Zuko said, confused at the young avatar's outburst.

"My friends! They were really sick yesterday, so I went to get some frozen frogs to help them, but I got captured by Zhao and then you came, and you know the rest. Who knows how sick they are now. Uhh, how could I have been so stupid?!" Aang said, unable to think straight knowing how sick his friends probably were by now.

Zuko and Iroh were rather confused at the airbender's ramblings, wondering how on earth frozen frogs can heal an illness, but nonetheless understood the basic reason for the bald monk's worries: his friends were sick and needed his help, and that was certainly enough reason for them.

"Then you must leave, young avatar, and quickly. Their illness, as you said, could be much worse by now, and will only get worse if you they do not receive any treatment." Iroh stated, understanding the young monk's worries.

"Alright, Aang, let's go then. But wait, hold on, how will you get those, um, "frozen frogs", anyway? You definitely don't have them with you, and I'm pretty sure there aren't frozen frogs just laying around the place." Zuko asked, not understanding Aang's plan to acquire said "frozen frogs".

"Well, a healer in the forest told me I could find them around a river not too far from here, and I actually did find them, but then Zhao captured me and they all escaped. So now we have to find them again, but don't worry, they're not that far away." Aang said, trying to reassure his hotheaded friend that finding the frogs won't take an entire day.

Satisfied with hearing a rational plan from the monk, Zuko accepted it, and prepared to leave , but not without giving his uncle, who he may not see for many weeks, a real, heartfelt, goodbye, unlike all those other times where he would barely say a word before leaving, sometimes not coming back for days.

"Well... goodbye uncle. I'll miss you. I hope we meet up again soon." Zuko said, giving a quick, but firm hug to his uncle before leaving.

"Goodbye Mr. Iroh." Aang said.

"Goodbye everyone. May the spirits guide you on your journey." Iroh said, waving goodbye to his nephew, and his newfound friend.

And with a click of a staff, the two flew away into the sunrise; a whole new day, and friendship awaiting them both.

But the avatar's friends are a whole different story.


	3. Chapter 3

On the way to the swamp where all the frozen frogs were, Aang was in deep thought as to how to introduce Zuko to his friends without causing a fight. He knows his two friends were probably really sick now, and in no condition to be a serious threat to the prince, but he also knows that once they get better, there will be a problem. Sokka definitely doesn't like Zuko, and while Katara is much friendlier than Sokka towards outsiders, he knows that she won't exactly accept the teen either. But at the same time, he can't stop Zuko from joining his group; the prince is his friend, and he won't do that to him, especially after all he's been through. So he's pretty much caught between a rock and a hard place. But nonetheless, Aang is determined to find a solution. Though it isn't very easy to think when someone is tugging on you and screaming in your ear.

"Ahh! Aang, what are you, crazy! Why are you flying like some kind of maniac!? Zuko yelled as loud as he can, so as to be heard over the wind.

"Sorry, Zuko, but there was a flock of sparrowgeese up ahead and I didn't want to bother them! And in case you forgot, my friends are sick!" Aang yelled back.

"Uhh, well at least warn me next time!" Zuko replied with annoyance.

"Haha, I can't make any promises! Aang answered mischievously.

Zuko just groaned upon hearing this, but thought that it was kind of fun to fly like this, even though he wouldn't admit it.

The rest of the trip was relatively quiet, the two having finally reached the river and scooped up as many frogs as possible before quickly flying off to ensure the frogs don't begin thawing. And eventually, they reached their destination, anxiety clear on their faces.

"Alright, don't worry Zuko, I'm sure they won't take this too bad. I mean, once they find out you're a traitor to the Fire Nation like us, I'm sure they'll trust you at least a little bit!" Aang said, trying to ease the young prince's fears.

"Gee, thanks, that makes me feel a lot better." Zuko sarcastically stated.

"Well, at least it's something." Aang said, a small laugh escaping his lips.

Taking a deep breath, Aang motioned for Zuko to stay where he is, and continued forward up the road, preparing to explain himself to the group.

As Aang left, Zuko began wondering about how the avatar's friends were going to take his joining their side. He didn't want to force them to let him into their group, he wanted to be a real member, not some unwanted criminal they have to drag along. He knew he truly was on their side and he really did want to end this war, even if it may seem like a trick from their perspective. But what worries him is that, after all he's done to them, will they even give him a chance?

* * *

As Aang approached the campsite, two distinct voices began to make themselves clear across the temple. The young airbender knew it would be best to voice his arrival before coming too close in hopes of not startling them.

"Hey, guys, really sorry I was late, but, I'm back!" The young monk yelled.

"Hey Aang, what took you so long. You missed the part where Appa was breathing fire out of his mouth. Better than any firebender I've ever seen, haha!" Sokka said with snot running down his nose, hallucinating from his sickness.

"Haha, that's great, Sokka. I'm sure he's an awesome firebender." Aang said, not knowing whether to laugh or feel sad for his ill friend.

"Don't believe him, Aang, everyone knows Appa can't firebend. But Momo did bend some water from a lake and bring it to us. Momo definitely understands human language better than we think. Isn't that right, Momo?" Katara said with a sore throat, petting the winged-lemur while slurping on a pile of mud.

"Uhh,... I think you guys are really sick. You should suck on these." Aang said, handing out the frogs to his friends as quickly as possible, weirded out by their hallucinatory ramblings.

"Mmhh, frog candy. Not very sweet, though. But, hey, pretty good anyways." Sokka said, grabbing on of the frogs and proceeding to suck on them, not realizing that the frogs were alive.

"Ew, Aang, where did you get this frog candy from. It's terrible." Katara stated, not liking the "candy" very much, unlike her brother

"Oh, that's not candy. Those are frozen frogs." Aang nonchalantly stated.

Immediately upon hearing this, the two siblings simultaneously spit out the half frozen frogs, who were already beginning to thaw out.

"Bleh! Ew, frog juice! Aang, why would you give us those things?" Sokka asked, disgusted by the fact that he just sucked on a slimy frog.

"Well, an old lady told me that these frogs can cure your illness, so... " Aang answered.

"So you just do anything some crazy old lady tells you to do!?" Sokka yelled.

"Well, she seemed pretty wise to me, even though she was a little crazy." Aang responded, barely noticing Sokka's anger.

"Hmmf, you're pretty lucky I'm feeling better from those things, otherwise I would've given you a stern talking to." Sokka said with a voice that wasn't as deep he hoped it would be. Relieved that the frogs at least relieved his symptoms.

"How about you, Katara, Are you feeling any better? Aang asked.

"Actually, I think I am feeling better, Aang. Thank you. Though I would have liked it better if what cured me wasn't sucking on a frozen frog." Looking down, Katara realized that what she was "drinking" wasn't water at all.

" uh, can someone tell me why I am eating mud? Katara wondered, a suspicious looking Momo giving a quick chatter towards her.

"Uhh, guys, I gotta leave for a little bit, but I'll be back really quickly, so, bye!" Aang said, disappearing with a gust of wind.

"Wait, Aang, where are you… going." Katara asked, Aang already out of sight before she could even finish her question.

"Where do you think he went?" Katara turned to Sokka and asked.

"I don't know, probably went to go do some weird airbender stuff." Sokka replied, turning around in his sleeping bag to sleep some more.

"And why exactly would Aang go do "airbender stuff" out of nowhere?" Katara asked her brother.

"Trust me, Katara, I know what I'm talking about." Sokka answered.

Katara just rolled her eyes at this, but continued to wonder about where her friend went.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aang was zooming back to where he Zuko was, hoping to find him and introduce him to the gang. Unbeknownst to him, Zuko was already walking towards the temple, and they both bumped into each other, which is pretty rough when you have the speed of an airbender.

"Ouch. Can't you watch where you're going!?" Zuko said, angry and annoyed by the airbender's antics.

"Heh, sorry, Zuko, I thought you were still back where you I left you." Aang replied.

"Oh, sorry I didn't stay where I was like a good boy." Zuko mocked.

"Well, you could've at least told me you were going to walk to campsite yourself." Aang said.

"I wasn't going to just walk right in there. I simply thought it would be better if I was closer, so you could introduce me. Is that so hard for you to understand?" Zuko stated.

"Well, we're together already, so, let's go." Aang said.

The two then walked back together to the campsite, only to stop about 10-20 feet from it.

"Uhh, Zuko, I think it would be better if you just stayed here for a few minutes while I explain what happened to them" Aang stated, whispering slightly.

"What? You mean you didn't tell them yet? What on earth were you doing the entire time you were there? It can't possibly take that long for two people to suck on a couple of frozen frogs." Zuko asked, angry at the avatar's time wasting.

"Well, Sokka and Katara hallucinated for a bit, heh, and we talked for awhile. I didn't think it was that long, though." Aang responded.

"Trust me, it felt pretty long, especially when you just stand there worrying about how someone will react. But forget about it,, just go. We don't have anymore time to waste." Zuko stated.

Turning around, Aang walked up a bit and once again entered the temple, the two Water Tribe siblings noticing his entrance.

"Aang, why did you leave like that all of a sudden?" Katara asked, wondering where the young airbender ran off to so quickly.

"I, uh, had to go get something that I,... dropped not too far from here." Aang "explained", in reality just making up some reason to ease her curiosity.

"Oh? What did you drop?" The young waterbender asked again.

"Uhh, my,... Staff! I dropped it on the way here, so I had to go get it. Yup, just dropped my staff, hehe." Aang nervously answered, hoping Katara would stop asking questions.

"See, sis? Told you he went to go do weird airbender stuff. A staff is technically airbender stuff, it's pretty weird because it can magically fly, and he went to go find it, thus meaning he indeed went to go do airbender stuff. You know, in my opinion, you really should start listening to me more often." Sokka smugly stated, thinking he is some kind of master of solving things.

"Wow, Sokka, you sure are smart. If only I could have your intelligence." Katara sarcastically said.

"Well, what can I say, that's just how I am. And the ladies love it, if I do say so myself." Sokka replied, not realizing his sister's sarcasm.

Looking out of the temple, the waterbender suddenly noticed that the sun was in the opposite direction, and that it definitely wasn't evening anymore.

"Wait, it's morning already? Aang, were you gone all night? Katara wondered.

"Uhh, yeah, I was. I kind of ran into some trouble after I left, which is kinda what I wanted to talk to you guys about." The airbender said.

"What!? What happened?" Katara worryingly asked.

"Umm, well, you see, first there were these arrow shooting guys who came out of nowhere, and then this Fire Nation guy named Zhao captured me, and then…" However, before he could finish, Katara quickly cut him off.

"Oh no, Aang, you were captured by the Fire Nation!? I knew you shouldn't have left alone, I should've went with you. Are you hurt? Did you get burn…" However, this time Katara was cut off.

"Katara, calm down, it's okay, I'm fine. I mean, I am now, thanks to this one guy who saved me." Aang said.

Feeling herself relax from Aang's words, the waterbender continues the conversation more calmly.

"Thank goodness. And I assume you have a new friend now, Aang?" The waterbender asked.

"Uhh, yeah, sort of. Though I don't think you guys'll like him very much." Aang said.

"Nonsense, Aang, any enemy of the Fire Nation is a friend of mine. So where is this guy, anyway?" Sokka wondered, eager to meet another warrior with whom he can share his "manly", warrior stories with.

Hearing footsteps from outside the temple, all three members of the group turn around and see a silhouette against the rising Sun walking towards them. And assuming this is Aang's friend by the way airbender is smiling, the two Water Tribe siblings themselves smile at this person, only to have their smiles quickly fall as they realize who it is.

"Uhh, hi, Zuko here..."


	4. Chapter 4

"Zuko!?" The two Water tribe siblings yelled in unison, shock and anger clear in their voices.

"Hehe, yep, Zuko. What a wild surprise, right?" Aang said, nervously scratching the back of his neck again.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. Now, Aang, would you mind telling us exactly WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?" Sokka asked, finding the whole situation weird.

"Uhh, well, you see, when I got captured by Zhao, this guy in a blue mask, who turned out to be Zuko, came in and saved me, but right when we were about to escape, we were caught by Zhao's soldiers. We managed to escaped, but in the process Zuko got shot by an arrow which caused his mask to fall off and reveal his identity to all of Zhao's soldiers. And since they obviously reported it to Zhao, Zuko pretty much from then on became a traitor to the Fire Nation. So later on, me and Zuko talked, and after talking to his uncle too, who was actually a pretty nice guy by the way, Zuko decided to switch sides and join our group. So, that's how he became my friend. Pretty neat story, huh?" Aang said, hoping if he told the story as nonchalantly and normal as possible, his friends wouldn't stress too much about his bringing the young prince into their group.

"No, it's not, Aang. How can you trust him? He tried to capture you so many times, tied me to a tree, stole my mother's necklace, and so many other things it's almost impossible to count. How could you trust him when it's so obvious he just wants to capture you again!? Katara said, angry at the fact that her friend would be so dumb to endanger himself and his friends with some Fire Nation killer.

"For your information, I did all those things just so I could go back home and be accepted by my family again. I didn't do it on purpose, like I was just chasing you for fun!" Zuko nearly yelled, but made sure to lower his voice and continue on, not wanting to make a bad "first" impression on the avatar's group.

"Look, I understand that you may be cautious of me, but at least give me a chance to prove myself. I mean, how could I even turn against you if I'm a traitor now? I specifically went against my nation! Even if I did manage to capture the avatar,... I mean, Aang, and bring him to my father, he'd probably execute me right after! What ulterior motive could I possibly have!?" Zuko yelled, mentally scolding himself for once again losing his temper.

"I don't know! But all I know is that you can't be trusted! Nobody just magically becomes good like that, you are definitely are trying to capture Aang again! How you can't see it, Aang, I just don't know!" Katara was getting angrier by the minute, the fact that the prince would use her friends friendship to get in their group and capture said friend disgusted her; in her mind it was all just a trick.

"Katara, please, sometimes you just have to give someone a chance. I don't know how to prove to you that Zuko's become good, but all I know is that Zuko's changed, and while I don't know how, it feels genuine. Can't you find it in your heart to accept Zuko? He can't even go back to his nation, he'll be hunted by his own father for the rest of his life! Katara, please, give him a chance!" Aang was practically begging at this point, hoping his friend would change her mind and let the banished prince into their group.

"I said no! He's done too much to just change all willy nilly! Now, get him away from my face!" Katara angrily yelled.

"Uhh, Katara, I mean, I know Zuko was a pretty bad guy, but he didn't exactly throw us in a dungeon and kill Aang. Why are you so angry at the angry jerk, anyway? I mean, aside from all the capturing, and the chasing…" Sokka asked, wondering why his sister was so passionate about her hatred towards the scarred prince.

"What? How can you even say that, Sokka? He's done so many terrible things in the past: chased us, tried to capture us, hurt us, I mean, we could never even relax for a second thanks to him! And I could never forgive him for using my mother's necklace, that she left me before she... , all for the Fire Nation's sick obsession with trying to capture and imprison the world's last hope! It's too much to forgive. I don't want to see him ever again!" Katara yelled, her eyes swelling with tears.

"But Katara, why can't you just try to under…" But Aang was quickly cut off before he could finish.

No! I don't want to hear any of it! Now, either he leaves, or,... or, you leave with him." Katara said, shocked that those words had just come out of her mouth.

Aang had never been so shocked in his entire life. His heart just fell into his stomach at Katara's words. It seemed like his entire world was crumbling all around him, his shocked face and teary eyes showing this clearly.

Sokka was shocked as well, staring at his sister in disbelief. Sure Zuko was a bad guy, but pretty much the entire reason why she hates him is because of his attempts to capture Aang, so why on earth she would be willing to force Aang out with the scarred teen alone, practically being a sitting duck, was beyond him.

Zuko on the other hand wasn't as much shocked as he was ashamed; ashamed of the fact that he caused the group to not only suffer at his hands when he was hunting the young monk, but also to split up as well. He didn't want to join their group if it meant the group's friendship breaking up. However, before he could say anything, Aang spoke up, clearly shocked by the waterbender's words.

"I,... I,... Fine. If you can't find it in your heart to accept Zuko then I'm leaving. Let's go Zuko, I don't think there is a group for you to join anymore. And goodbye, Sokka, I'm sorry for this." Aang solemnly, but sternly said, his eyes locked in a teary glare with the young waterbender.

"It's okay, Aang. I understand. We'll miss you." Sokka said, a sad look on his face.

Turning around, Aang's face fell from one of anger to one of sadness, and Zuko gave one last glance at the duo before turning around as well, and leaving. And as the two figures slowly started disappearing from view, Katara was simply standing there in shock from what had just happened. She didn't believe that Aang would actually leave. It was heartbreaking to watch how his face looked from the shock that she would say that. She truly wished she hadn't said those things. She just wished she had handled the whole thing better.

* * *

I can't believe Katara would do that. I thought... I thought we were friends. We were always so close, we told everything to each other. And for her to just kick me out of the group, like I was never her friend, like I was nobody, just because she couldn't give you a single chance, was…uhhh,..." At this point, Aang had stopped walking and fell down to the ground, crying into his knees, the past events being too much to handle for the young airbender who had been through enough suffering in his life..

Noticing the sudden quietness around him , Zuko turned around to see the young avatar sitting and crying on the ground not too far behind. Walking up to him, the young prince decides to comfort the young monk.

"It's alright, Aang, I wouldn't worry too much about Katara. I mean, she hates me, not you. And though it may not seem like it, it seems like she still cares about you, and regretted saying that to you, but was just too stubborn to take it back. She's still your friend, Aang, no matter how hard it is for you to think that." Zuko said, giving an awkward smile to lift the airbender's spirit.

"I guess you're right, Zuko. I just really miss my friends. It's weird to not be with them because of such a huge fight. Everything just seemed so final, like everything was over. It feels like no one ever wants me around them. Not even the monks in air temples. I just feel so worthless. You know what I mean?" Aang explained to his scarred friend.

"Believe me, I know." Zuko said, mentally laughing at the fact that the young monk had just asked him if he understands feeling worthless, losing everything and not being wanted around by the ones he loved.

However, seeing the young airbender once again lower his head sadly caused the scarred prince to think about all he's done to the young monk, and what it seems like he just keeps on doing unintentionally.

"I apologize, Aang." Zuko said.

"For what?" Aang wondered, tears still dripping down his cheeks.

"For everything I've ever done to you and your friends. And while I've already caused enough pain to you and your friends, it just seems like I keep on doing bad to you even when I try to be good. So, that's why I've been thinking that we shouldn't be friends." Zuko stated.

"What!? What do you mean?" Aang quickly said, shocked once again, this time by the young prince's words.

"You need to be with your friends, you guys belong with each other. And if I'm friends with you, I'll only bring more attention from the Fire Nation on you. And besides, your friends have been with you from the start. While just a couple days ago we hated each other. I think it's better if we go our separate ways. You can go back to your friends, and I can go help the war with my uncle. Don't worry, it won't be too bad." Zuko said, a sad smile forming on his face.

"What? We don't need to stop being friends. I mean, you said yourself that Katara doesn't really hate me, so why did you suddenly think about this? Is it because you think Katara hates you? If that's it, well, I was already planning to go back and try to talk things out! We can still be friends!" Aang said, a little optimism, and fright of losing Zuko as his friend, clear in his voice.

"It's not just that. I've caused so much problems to you and your group already, it just doesn't feel right to be part to be part of it and act like nothing ever happened. And besides, just because I've changed, doesn't mean I have to be part of your group. I've always been a loner anyway." Zuko stated, slightly sad about his lonely past, before remembering how his uncle has always been there for him.

"You shouldn't say that, Zuko. You're just as much friends with me as I am with Katara and Sokka. Don't worry, we'll work this out, somehow." Aang said, his mind already working on finding someway to solve this problem.

Zuko just looked skeptically at the young airbender, but nonetheless nodded, looking forward to hear of whatever plan the young monk can think of.

* * *

"I can't believe Aang left… because of me." Katara said, regretting all that she said to the young airbender.

"Yeah. It's pretty quiet and boring without him here." Sokka stated.

"You know, I wanted to understand Aang, I really did, but, It's just… after all the things Zuko's done to us, it was just too much to accept. I mean, I understand Aang's the one he was chasing, and he's also the one trusts him at the same time, but,... it's just so hard to believe in him." Katara explained.

"I know, sis, and I understand how you feel, but at times like these you just gotta look at the brighter side of things, and let go of the past. Zuko seems like he's changed, and Aang trusts him. I think that if you really love Aang, you'd understand that and accept it. You know, just forgive him. It's hard to do, but, sometimes you just gotta to do it, you know what I mean?" Sokka said, slightly shocking his sister with his wise words.

"I think I do, Sokka, and I think I might be ready to forgive... I just hope Aang will come back after all this..." Katara said, looking out onto the horizon, thinking that she might have been wrong about a certain prince.


End file.
